Bethel's Journey Toward Open And Affirming (ONA)
By Dee Campos-Davis, 6/2022
What is Open and Affirming?
According to the ONA Coalition Website: “Open and Affirming” (ONA) is a movement of more than 1,500 churches and other ministries in the United Church of Christ that welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) members. More than 350,000 members of the UCC belong to ONA churches.
After a time of study, dialogue, and prayer, churches adopt an Open and Affirming “covenant” committing their members to welcome LGBTQ seekers, support their relationships, and advocate for their basic rights. All sacraments and rites of an ONA congregation are available to LGBTQ people, including baptism, confirmation, communion, and marriage. ONA churches take seriously the Bible’s admonition to “accept one another, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (Romans 15:7, NIV)
Bethel’s history of ONA:
The 1985 UCC General Synod urged congregations to “Declare themselves Open and Affirming.” Then in the early 1990s, the Central Pacific Conference opened conversation about a Covenant of Openness and Affirmation. Bethel was in between called pastors during that time and did not participate in study groups and dialogue offered by the Conference. By the time the Conference voted at the Spring Assembly to adopt the Covenant, Bethel had called Pastor Sigmund Podlozny. When Rev. Podlozny attended the Spring Assembly he had been instructed to vote against the Covenant.
He did so reluctantly, feeling that Bethel had not thoroughly considered the issues raised in the Covenant. Pastor Sigmund returned to Bethel and advised the church to begin the process of study, dialogue and prayer around the issues facing our Gay and Lesbian neighbors and the role of the church in growing an inclusive, diverse community. Betty Lou Hunsaker remembers that Bethel has a long history of pushing boundaries and being trailblazers. Not a church to shy away from challenges, earlier folks at Bethel did work around racial justice and encouraged learning from diverse people. “We wanted to help the community. Even when they didn’t want to be helped,” said Betty Lou with a laugh.
Bethel first hosted a series of community conversations and invited folks from the larger White Salmon community to attend. An article in the White Salmon paper about the series triggered a rough backlash in town. There were many letters to the editor critical of Pastor Sigmund and of Bethel. Sigmund’s life was threatened, he and the church received verbal threats by phone, in public, and in letters. A warning shot was fired into a post at the parsonage during one particularly heated exchange.
But through the leadership of Pastor Sigmund, Rev. David Duncombe, Rev. Faith Ballanger, and Bethel members Juanita Gardner and Cleo Sheckles, a group formed to provide more information to Bethel members. Through study and hearing from LGBTQ people, Bethel wrestled with the covenant and wording. Finally, at the Annual Meeting in 1995, we overwhelmingly voted to become “Open And Affirming And Accepting” and 44 people initially signed the covenant. Signatures included Bethel’s oldest member, Rosa Surface who was 103.
Betty Lou remembers feeling like the larger community of White Salmon was watching Bethel and “waiting for us to crash” after the controversy. Bethel was the only congregation east of Portland to become an ONA church for at least another 15 years.
What is Open and Affirming?
According to the ONA Coalition Website: “Open and Affirming” (ONA) is a movement of more than 1,500 churches and other ministries in the United Church of Christ that welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) members. More than 350,000 members of the UCC belong to ONA churches.
After a time of study, dialogue, and prayer, churches adopt an Open and Affirming “covenant” committing their members to welcome LGBTQ seekers, support their relationships, and advocate for their basic rights. All sacraments and rites of an ONA congregation are available to LGBTQ people, including baptism, confirmation, communion, and marriage. ONA churches take seriously the Bible’s admonition to “accept one another, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (Romans 15:7, NIV)
Bethel’s history of ONA:
The 1985 UCC General Synod urged congregations to “Declare themselves Open and Affirming.” Then in the early 1990s, the Central Pacific Conference opened conversation about a Covenant of Openness and Affirmation. Bethel was in between called pastors during that time and did not participate in study groups and dialogue offered by the Conference. By the time the Conference voted at the Spring Assembly to adopt the Covenant, Bethel had called Pastor Sigmund Podlozny. When Rev. Podlozny attended the Spring Assembly he had been instructed to vote against the Covenant.
He did so reluctantly, feeling that Bethel had not thoroughly considered the issues raised in the Covenant. Pastor Sigmund returned to Bethel and advised the church to begin the process of study, dialogue and prayer around the issues facing our Gay and Lesbian neighbors and the role of the church in growing an inclusive, diverse community. Betty Lou Hunsaker remembers that Bethel has a long history of pushing boundaries and being trailblazers. Not a church to shy away from challenges, earlier folks at Bethel did work around racial justice and encouraged learning from diverse people. “We wanted to help the community. Even when they didn’t want to be helped,” said Betty Lou with a laugh.
Bethel first hosted a series of community conversations and invited folks from the larger White Salmon community to attend. An article in the White Salmon paper about the series triggered a rough backlash in town. There were many letters to the editor critical of Pastor Sigmund and of Bethel. Sigmund’s life was threatened, he and the church received verbal threats by phone, in public, and in letters. A warning shot was fired into a post at the parsonage during one particularly heated exchange.
But through the leadership of Pastor Sigmund, Rev. David Duncombe, Rev. Faith Ballanger, and Bethel members Juanita Gardner and Cleo Sheckles, a group formed to provide more information to Bethel members. Through study and hearing from LGBTQ people, Bethel wrestled with the covenant and wording. Finally, at the Annual Meeting in 1995, we overwhelmingly voted to become “Open And Affirming And Accepting” and 44 people initially signed the covenant. Signatures included Bethel’s oldest member, Rosa Surface who was 103.
Betty Lou remembers feeling like the larger community of White Salmon was watching Bethel and “waiting for us to crash” after the controversy. Bethel was the only congregation east of Portland to become an ONA church for at least another 15 years.